What would it be like if you didn’t measure the success of your life just by what you get and don’t get, but gave equal or greater priority to how aligned you are with your greatest values?

So many of us have been taught to measure our success through the accomplishment of goals. As a result, we get stuck on a goal-driven roller-coaster, feeling the highs when we accomplish something and the lows and frustrations when things don’t go as we plan.

The problem is that goals don’t fulfill you on an ongoing basis; they either lead to more and more goals or crumble apart, leaving you to feel like you failed. While goals give you excitement and highs and lows, intentions provide you with enduring self-respect, purpose, and peace of mind.

Setting intentions is very different than goal making because it’s not focused on arriving at a specific future outcome. When we set an intention it’s really to experience something and that may take time to fully manifest. It’s really a process that is initiated by being conscious and deliberate on how you are being in the present moment. Your attention is on the “now.”

The now is where ALL your power is. It is the place where you plant the seed of intention for your dreams. You set an intention and begin the doing, thinking and being in the now.

I remember the first time I heard this statement 30 years ago, and, (as a newly minted magical thinking new ager) I took it to mean that I would “easily and effortlessly” manifest what I want. After all, if I desire something should I not be able to manifest it?

“What is truly yours will not be withheld from you”, and “If you can imagine it you can create it”, became two statements that have challenged me over the years to dive deep and find the courage to face what I didn’t want to face.

The fact is that life will not always give me exactly what I want in the form I insist upon, and that chasing anything to make it so will not yield the fruits of either statement no matter how much I try to manipulate it.

If something eludes you, chasing it will only lead to heartache, or boredom.

How’s your 2018 going so far? Still undecided what you want to happen or bring into your life this year? If you want to manifest something into your life, it’s important to start out by having a clear mental picture of what you want, as well as the desire to bring it in to your life. Remember: “The soul never thinks without a mental picture.”

When you have an image followed by the emotion of joy and excitement, as if it’s what you desire, and it's happening here and now, then you open yourself to the universal energy – the Divine Source – to able to attach itself and assist you in fulfilling your aspiration or desire.

Many people when asked: “What do you want in your life?” often respond by saying: “I DON’T KNOW.”  When you say ‘I don’t know’, it really means the energy has nothing to grab on to. By visualizing, what you truly desire and bringing in the positive, joyful emotions as if your goal is already happening, you stand a far better chance of your soul meeting your goal half way. If it’s for your highest good, and that of others – then you, your soul, and the Universe can all work as partners in manifesting the outcome you desire.

To be intuitive or psychic is not only something we naturally possess — it’s also a way of being. This natural soul ability is not purely limited to transcended masters or to people who have devoted a lifetime of both studying and practicing meditation. It’s not about fortune-telling, crystal balls, or predicting the future.

In fact, we’re all using these special abilities most of the time, even though many of us never realize it. Take a moment to consider these questions:

• Have you ever just thought of someone and then by coincidence, you run into them later that day?
• Can you sense the mood of someone even before you meet them?
• Have you ever had a hunch that you didn’t follow through, only to regret it later because it turned out to be correct?
• Was there a time when you were talking to someone on the phone, and even though they sounded fine, you just knew that something was wrong?
• Have you ever known the outcome of a situation or an event before it happened?
• Can you walk into a room and tell what the atmosphere is like instantly?
• Do so-called coincidences and synchronicities keep happening in your life?

How many questions did you answer yes to? These are just a few examples of what being intuitive or psychic is all about. It’s a sense of an inner-awareness that can be quite subtle. Of course, I urge you to keep your feet firmly on the ground as it’s not always overly dramatic like you see in the movies!

Learning how to believe in yourself will open up endless possibilities in your life. At times you may find this difficult to do. The truth is that we’ve been conditioned throughout our lives to doubt ourselves. We must retrain ourselves to get rid of our fears and self-doubt in order to build self-esteem and self-confidence.

Everything you have in your life is a result of your belief in yourself and the belief that it’s possible. Here are the four most important steps to learning how to believe in yourself. Practice them and you’ll be amazed at the results:

• Believe it’s possible. Believe that you can do it regardless of what anyone says or where you are in life.
• Visualize it. Think about exactly what your life would look like if you had already achieved your dream.
• Act as if. Always act in a way that is consistent with where you want to go.
• Take action towards your goals. Do not let fear stop you, nothing happens in life until you take action.

Let’s take a look at each of these steps...

At this point in my life I cannot imagine not working with the power of intention on a daily basis. I find it to be a phenomenal tool when it comes to getting things done. Not only do I usually experience the best possible outcome, I receive it in the best possible way.

I have also noticed that I am spiritually guided to set intentions when faced with new challenges. I’ll hear a sentence enter my thought process that asks, “What is your intention for ______?”. For the most part, anything that enters our minds that is outside of regular habitual thinking is the guidance of spirit. This would be the point where I stop and get clear over what I would like to see unfold. This does not mean that things go my way all the time. At the very least intention setting makes it possible for me to let go of the fear around an impending situation. I can release the contemplation out of my mind and move forward with optimism.

We just went to see Amy Schumer’s new comedy, I Feel Pretty, which is touching and funny, and I highly recommend it.

The premise of the film is that an ordinary, pudgy woman, Renee, of just average looks, wishes to be breathtakingly beautiful.

Renee falls off her bike at Soul Cycle, hits her head, and when she awakens, she looks in the mirror and sees the beauty she always hoped to become.

PLAY THE THREE MINUTE MIRACLE GAME

I’m ridiculously content this morning because I did this game that I hope you’ll muster the courage to do out loud with me. I call it The Three Minute Miracle Game and I can tell you it works for me every time.

Let me ask you something. Do you notice that it can be really difficult to own your desires, really get that you are worthy of them, that when you look into the outer conditions of your life (or watch the bad news reminding you to be freaked out) you think that is what your future holds?

We all get hypnotized by it and let’s face it, how many of you, myself included were taught that you had to dim your light to belong, tone it down, that you had to fit into a skinny box, a young box, a religious box, an “x” box that now you have to really guess to figure out (omg I don’t know what box I need GARF!!) – to be happy, or just to belong etc.

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to have all the luck and good fortune? If so, have you wondered if there’s some secret or magic formula? If only this was true!

Let me enlighten you with the real truth. The force that works through your soul, that determines what’s possible or impossible, the difference between success over failure, and above all who we are—is the power of your belief.

I full appreciate that some people believe in a higher power than themselves, just as there are some who believe in love and abundance, while others sadly believe they’re alone and believe they are only just meant to survive. Equally, there are some who just walk aimlessly upon this planet, accepting whatever comes their way, with no real sense of purpose or without question. Let me stress …  it’s not about luck. It’s about how and why you attract such conditions in your life.